


The Meaning of Family

by Only_Happy_Endings



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Steven and his moms, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, doesnt really have a plot, just Steven having emotions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 09:51:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15531675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Only_Happy_Endings/pseuds/Only_Happy_Endings
Summary: Sometimes family means 3 stones and a lionAka Steven goes over to the Maheswarans for dinner and a game night and explores the concept of family (because we all know his is anything but traditional)





	1. Game Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hey this is my first ever Fic for Steven Universe! I just wanted dip my toe in the water of exploring the universe and seeing if it's something I'd like to write more in depth stuff for. This piece is basically just going to be a fluffy Steven bonding with the crystal gems type of thing. let me know what you think :)

“Thank you so much for inviting me over for dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Maheswaran” Steven greeted as Connie’s mom swung open the door, wearing a baking apron and smiling.

“Not a problem Steven! We’re happy to have you” Mrs. Maheswaran responded as she stepped out of the way to let Steven into the house “Please take your shoes off”

“Steven!” connie shouted as she came running down the stairs

\- “no running in the house please Connie!” -

\- “sorry dad!” - 

Connie smiled as she came to a stop in front of Steven. “I’m so glad you could make it! We’re having vegetarian meatloaf for dinner, and it's Friday night, which is game night in the Maheswaran household, and I know the Gems are out on a mission right now, so I thought you’d like the company! You can pick out the first game” Connie promised. Steven grinned. He loved hanging out with Connie, and he had been a little lonely - Even though he knew the crystal gems could handle themselves, he always got a little nervous when they were gone for days at a time. 

“That sounds great! Do you have Uno?” 

“I’ll do you one better - I just got The Spirit Morph Trivia set!”

“Oh no way! That's so cool!” Steven replied excitedly as they both ran into the living room to check it out. Connie was in the middle of explaining how the trivia only went to book three, as it was created before Destiny’s End came out, when her mom called them to the kitchen. 

“Wash up for dinner, and Steven, will you help set the table?” Mrs. Maheswaran asked as she started taking things out of the oven. 

“Sure thing!” Steven agreed while he got to work, while privately thinking to himself that it didn’t seem like it was worth all the hassle. He never had to set the table at home - or eat anything he didn’t want to (like vegetarian meatloaf). The Gems weren’t even entirely sure that he needed food to survive in any case.

Dinner was mostly uneventful, Connie talked about her day and got chastised for putting her elbows on the table, her dad talked a little bit about his work, and her mom hesitantly asked Steven how his father and his… guardians? Were doing. Finally, the dishes were cleared and it was game time.

\-----

“ I rolled a five and…. Bam! I win again! Take that Steven!” Connie laughs as she throws her Monopoly money in the air. “I’m the game night champion!”. Steven sighs in defeat as he helps Connie pick up all the pieces. After dinner everybody had sat around the living room table and gone through game after game. Doug had insisted they play a different game - “something fun, like scrabble!” - after the third round of Spirit Morph Trivia. After scrabble, it had been Sorry, Guess Who, Charades, and then Monopoly as the agreed upon last game before Connie’s bed time (which was later on the weekends, but Steven still thought it was funny that Connie had a certain time that she had to go to bed at every single night). Finally it was time to go home, after agreeing to take home leftovers and insisting that “No, but thank you so much for the offer” he didn’t need a ride home, Steven climbed on lions back and waved goodbye as he started his walk home. 

As they walked through town and down to the beach, Steven sighed. Tonight had been super fun, but he would hate to live like Connie. Her parents were so strict! All those rules - no shoes, no running, eat at the table, no elbows, chew with your mouth closed, do the dishes, going to bed by 9? He couldn’t even imagine how frustrating having all those rules all the time would be. Yet, as climbed up the stairs and flickered on the lights to see that the Gems weren’t home yet - he couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of sadness. Despite all that, Connie seemed so happy to be spending time with her family. As he climbed into bed and looked at the ceiling, he couldn't help but wonder; maybe something big was missing from his life


	2. Dessert For Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven gets an idea

The Gems still had not returned by the time he had woken up, but Steven had a very strange morning indeed. Whatever he did, and wherever he went, he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about last night. 

After climbing out of bed and confirming he was still alone, Steven walked to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took a look around. His eyes landed on ice cream and smiling to himself, he decided that dessert for breakfast was just the kind of thing he was in the mood for.   
This was one of the nice things about being raised by Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. Nobody was going to stop him from eating ice cream for breakfast! Content with this fact, Steven decided to push it even further. Instead of just having ice cream for breakfast, why not eat it on the roof? 

“The view of the sun rising from the roof, with a bowl of ice cream can be pretty sweet” Steven turned to say before remembering that oh yeah… there was nobody there. Nobody for him to chat with over breakfast. Nobody to agree with him on how nice the rays of sun looked shining off the ocean or ask him what his plans for the day were. He couldn’t help but think about last night at the dinner table

\-----

“ And I finished the last book in that series so I was thinking tomorrow I could go to the library and see if I can find that book my teacher recommended”

“That sounds nice Connie, but make sure you also get a chance to start on the science porject, it’s due this tuesday and I dont want to see you rushing to do it last minute” Connie’s mom warned

“I can take her to the store and pick up the construction paper after work” her father interjected

“That would be perfect, thanks dad!” Connie responded

\-----

Steven sighed. It would be nice to have something like that. Someone to chat over meals and check in to make sure he’s doing okay. Even if he can see how Connie’s parents might feel overbearing at times, it still seems nice.

Finishing breakfast, Steven walks back inside to put the rest of the ice cream in the fridge, but he hesitates at the framed picture of Rose Quartz hanging above the door. She’s smiling in the photo, but she’s all alone, staring down like a ghost at what remains of the crystal gems. It doesn't feel like a happy picture, somehow. 

Lining the walls of the Maheswaran household were hundreds framed photos. Some looked professionally done, with Connie and her parents all dressed up and smiling into the camera with a grey backdrop, while others were clearly more spur of the moment; Connie as a little kid in a princess outfit and crown, Mr. and Mrs. Maheswaran smiling as they sailed on a boat, Connie and her dad waving from where they both sat on a haunted hayride about to go into the woods. There were even some photos of Connie and Steven on their first mission. He remembers Connie taking those photos and telling him how she showed her mom all of them.

Steven was thinking about how nice it would be to have photos like that when it hit him: he COULD have photos like that. He had a camera, he had the Crystal Gems, he could make it happen! Once the thought occurred to him he had no clue why he hadn’t thought of it earlier. He could have everything Connie had! The timing of this revelation was perfect, as just a few seconds later the warp pad began to light up. 

“Garnet! Amethyst! Pearl!” Steven ran up to them, a determined look in his eye.

“What's wrong Steven?” Pearl asked, immediately concerned. “Are you hurt?’

“No, im fine, dont worry! I just had an idea”

“An idea?” Garnet asked

“Yeah. A great idea! Let's do a game night!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the one I've really been looking forward to writing!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It means the world to me that sometimes people actually read what I wrote! Drop a hello to me in the comments, I'd love to make some Steven Universe friends. I'll probably update this daily until it's done.  
> \- Micky


End file.
